OVW FY 2020 Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Grant Program | OVW 2020 17563

Opportunity Information: Apply for OVW 2020 17563

The OVW FY 2020 Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Grant Program (Funding Opportunity Number: OVW 2020 17563) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). It is designed to strengthen how the criminal justice system responds to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by promoting a coordinated, system-wide approach rather than isolated efforts by individual agencies. The core idea is that these crimes should be treated as serious violations of criminal law and addressed through deliberate collaboration among law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and other key justice partners, with the goal of improving victim safety, offender accountability, and overall case outcomes.

This opportunity falls under the Law, Justice and Legal Services funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 16.590. Funding is provided through a grant instrument, and the program anticipates making around 45 awards. Individual awards can be as large as $1,250,000, which suggests OVW is seeking substantial, multi-component projects capable of producing meaningful improvements in policy, practice, and coordination across jurisdictions and agencies.

Eligible applicants include a broad range of governmental and community-based entities, reflecting the program focus on coordinated community and justice system responses. Eligible applicants specifically include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The opportunity also allows applications from nonprofit organizations that have 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), along with other entities as further described in the program materials under additional eligibility guidance. This range of eligibility supports partnerships between public agencies and victim service or community organizations, which is often essential for building effective responses that are both trauma-informed and operationally practical.

The grant was created on November 26, 2019, with an original application closing date of January 27, 2020. As a competitive discretionary program administered by OVW, applicants would generally be expected to propose strategies that improve the criminal justice response in concrete, measurable ways. In practice, that typically means strengthening coordination among agencies and courts, improving investigative and prosecutorial practices, enhancing court procedures and supervision strategies, addressing gaps that lead to victim disengagement or case attrition, and ensuring responses are consistent, timely, and centered on safety and accountability. While the opportunity summary emphasizes coordination across the entire criminal justice system, the broader intent is to produce durable improvements that institutionalize best practices so responses do not depend solely on individual champions or temporary initiatives.

Overall, this OVW program is aimed at helping jurisdictions and tribal communities move toward a more unified and effective criminal justice strategy for addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, recognizing that strong outcomes require alignment across the full pathway from first response and investigation through prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, and ongoing enforcement of protective orders and related court directives.

• The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW FY 2020 Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.590.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 26, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 27, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 45 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for OVW 2020 17563

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